ALBUQUERQUE – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, San Diego, Imperial Counties, Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas, and Kansas provides civil rights assistance in the following cases: and issued an advisory warning residents of the threat of constitutional rights violations. Traveling through Oklahoma after extreme anti-immigrant laws were passed.
Oklahoma’s new law, HB 4156, makes it a crime to enter and remain in Oklahoma if you enter the United States illegally. It is also a crime to re-enter Oklahoma after being ordered removed from the United States.
This law would put everyone in Oklahoma at risk, as it would put Oklahoma residents, including travelers, lifelong undocumented Oklahomans, and residents of neighboring states, at risk of arrest and incarceration. Become. The law also increases the potential for racial profiling by law enforcement officers untrained in complex federal immigration law.
“HB 4156 is an attack on immigrants everywhere. By assuming unconstitutional immigration enforcement powers, the Oklahoma government threatens immigrants who have lived and worked in our communities for decades. It is also a threat to New Mexicans who are undocumented, have mixed-status families, or simply are targeted for racial profiling by overzealous and poorly trained local law enforcement officers,” the ACLU of New Mexico Borders said.・Immigration policy advocate Leonardo Castañeda said. “As a warning to our residents, and in solidarity with Oklahomans who believe that immigrants should be treated humanely and not as political pawns, we would like to extend this message to the states surrounding Oklahoma, as well as states beyond our borders. We are announcing this recommendation.”
Countless residents of Oklahoma’s neighboring states have family members and loved ones who could be put at risk by this law, which threatens their civil liberties. This joint travel advisory highlights the solidarity of Oklahoma’s surrounding communities against punitive and counterproductive policies that harm immigrant communities and do nothing to welcome those seeking safety and refuge. .
People traveling to Oklahoma are advised to remain calm if stopped by police and encouraged to immediately exercise their right to an attorney or otherwise remain silent. Detailed guidance is outlined in our travel advisory here.